PROHIBIT STEREOTPYING IN CURRICULUM H.B. 5097:
SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL
IN COMMITTEE
House Bill 5097 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Andrew Beeler
Senate Committee: Education and Career Readiness
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Revised School Code to modify the State Board model core academic curriculum content standards to prohibit the promotion of any form of race or gender stereotyping or anything that could be understood as implicit race or gender stereotyping.
Under the Code, if the board of a school district wants all the schools of the district to be accredited under Section 1280, it must provide to all the pupils attending public school in the district a core academic curriculum in compliance with the Code in each of the curricular areas specified in the State Board of Education-recommended model core academic curriculum content standards that meets the requirements specified in the Code. (Generally, Section 1280 governs the accreditation standards developed by the Michigan Department of Education).
The State Board model core academic curriculum content standards must encompass academic and cognitive instruction only. In addition, under the bill, the standards could not in any way, include the promotion of any form of race or gender stereotyping or anything that could be understood as implicit race or gender stereotyping.
"Race or gender stereotyping" would mean a set of statements, beliefs, or ideas that conform wholly or in part with the following general or particular statements:
-- That all individuals comprising a racial or ethnic group or gender hold a collective quality of belief.
-- That individuals act in certain ways or hold certain opinions because of their race or gender.
-- That individuals are born racist or sexist by accident of their race or gender.
-- That individuals bear collective guilt for historical wrongs committed by their race or gender.
-- That cultural norms or practices of racial or ethnic group or gender are flawed and must be eliminated or changed to conform with those of another racial or ethnic group or gender.
-- That racism is inherent in individuals from a particular race or ethnic group or that sexism is inherent in individuals from a particular group.
-- That a racial or ethnic group or gender is in need of deconstruction, elimination, or criticism.
-- That the actions of individuals serve as an indictment against the race or gender of those individuals.
The Code requires the board of each school district, considering academic curricular objectives defined and recommended as specified in the Code, to establish core academic curriculum for its pupils at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels. The curriculum must meet the requirements specified in the Code. Under the bill, however, the core academic curriculum could not, in any way, include the promotion of any form of race or gender stereotyping or anything that could be understood as implicit race or gender stereotyping.
MCL 380.1278 Legislative Analyst: Eleni Lionas
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Cory Savino, PhD
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.